Son broke his hand battering his mum to a pulp

A son who attacked his own mum so ferociously that he broke his hand was this week starting a sentence of detention.

A court heard that Rhys Stewart, who spent three months in hospital after a drug-induced psychotic episode, set on her after a row at their Haydock home.

When you had knocked her to the ground and she was completely incapable of defending herself you began kicking her. You delivered a number of blows by kicking her with your feet in shoes to her head and upper body

Michael Duck QC

Karen Stewart, 42, a nurse at Wigan infirmary, suffered a fractured skull and a bleed on the brain among other injuries in the horrific sustained assault.

Sentencing him to 22 months’ detention the judge, Recorder Michael Duck, QC, said the attack began after they had argued for about an hour after the defendant’s mum said it was time for him to move out of their home.

“You have not just delivered a single blow but rained blows on her with your fists. When you had knocked her to the ground and she was completely incapable of defending herself you began kicking her. You delivered a number of blows by kicking her with your feet in shoes to her head and upper body. One can get some measure of the ferocity of the attack by the fact you broke your own hand and had swelling to your feet.”

As well as her physical injuries “she no doubt suffered psychological injuries as a result of being attacked by her own son in her own home.”

Stewart, 20, of Church Road, Haydock, who appeared at Liverpool Crown Court via video link from prison, pleaded guilty to wounding.

Tom Watson, defending, said Stewart had had a difficult and troubled relationship with his mum. He turned to drugs and ended up in hospital after a psychotic episode.

Although a pre-sentence report said he had not shown real remorse “he wishes to express regret about what happened and hopes she makes a full recovery. He sees no future in ever seeing his mother again and does not believe their lives would cross paths again. There is a complete and utter breakdown as far as he is concerned.”

Mr Watson added: “He is a first time offender who was probably suffering from something of a psychotic episode and is not likely to find himself in this situation again.”